by Mary V. Thompson
In the spring of 1787, as George Washington was preparing to leave Mount Vernon to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, an express rider arrived, carrying an emergency summons to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In telling a friend about his change of plans, Washington noted that “not a moment is to be lost,” because his…

Walking through the Mansion feels like a snapshot into the daily life of the Washingtons. Mount Vernon's Collections team changes the setup in each room seasonally to recreate the way Mount Vernon's guests would have seen it in the 1790s. Earlier this month, the staff again changed the scenarios in the dining room, butler's pantry, kitchen, and slave…

Among the mid-century (18th century that is) style furnishings that will make their appearance in the Blue Room is a mahogany bureau dressing table, a Richmond-made reproduction of a Williamsburg-made original that once seamlessly translated British style to the colonies.
The original dressing table for the Blue Room has not been identified, but…

Did you know George Washington created the first United States military award, originally known as the military badge of merit, now known as the Purple Heart? We meet to with Lt. Gordon Sumner to learn more about the legacy of the Purple Heart award, and about the ceremony held at Mount Vernon on Purple Heart day.

If you visit Mount Vernon today, you will find the Blue Room door closed once again. Behind the door, Collections Management and Curatorial staff have begun the installation process of the room. This means that we are carefully moving in and arranging all of the objects which will furnish the newly restored room.
The Curatorial staff have extensively…

One question a lot of our guests ask is, "Why isn't George Washington buried at the Capitol?" We set out on a mini journey to the Capitol, the Fairfax County courthouse, and finally Mount Vernon to get the full story.

Here’s a peek at what’s coming together in the Blue Room: one of six handsomely carved English rococo chairs, c. 1755-1765, dressed with a reproduction slip cover of “fashionable . . . blew and white” printed cotton.
The beautifully preserved set represents the six mahogany chairs that stood in the Blue Room in 1799, as recorded on George Washington…

By 1799, the contents of the Blue Room notably included “1 large looking glass.” To represent it, curators chose a period example typical of the large, pediment looking glasses available at the time. But as we discovered, it was missing its crowning feature.
Overall, the looking glass was in relatively good condition with a long and storied history…